Hugh of Italy

Hugh of Italy (885-10 April 948), also known as Hugh of Arles, was King of Italy from 926 to 948, succeeding Adalberto II of Italy and preceding Lothair II of Italy.

Biography
Hugh was born in 885, the son of Theobald of Arles and Bertha of Lotharingia. He inherited Arles and Vienne on his father's death, making him one of the most powerful nobles in Provence. In 905, he became Louis the Blind's chief adviser when he was captured, blinded, and exiled from Italy in 910, and Hugh was controlling the Holy Roman Empire by the next year. Louis gave him the Duchy of Provence and the March of Vienne, and he moved the capital's seat to Arles before marrying Willa of Provence, widow of Rudolph I of Burgundy. Hugh failed to take Burgundy from Rudolph II of Burgundy, but he invaded Italy in 924 after a sizeable faction of Italian nobles revolted against Berengar I of Italy and declared Rudolph II King of Italy. Berengar's partisans decided to elect Hugh as king in opposition to Rudolph and the Burgundians, and Rudolph was ejected from Italy in 926, allowing for Hugh of Arles to be crowned King of Italy.

Hugh successfully fought back against the Magyars, and he centralized power in Italy. In 928, he gave Vienne to Herbert II of Vermandois' son in a move against Louis the Blind's son Charles Constantine of Vienne, and he sought to form an alliance with Rudolph of France against Burgundy. However, Charles took Vienne in 930 and Rudolph took over the March of Vienne and Lyon in 931, forcing Hugh to look back to Italian politics. In April 931, he had his son crowned as junior king Lothair II of Italy to form a line of succession, and he deposed his half-brother Lambert of Tuscany due to fearing that he was plotting against him; he also blocked Hugh from marrying Marozia, a powerful Italian woman with influence in the Papal States. Marozia's son Alberic II of Spoleto disapproved of the marriage and led a coup during their wedding, and Hugh had to slide down a rope to rejoin his army, while Marozia was imprisoned. Hugh's power was damaged, but he succeeded in fighting against the Magyars and the Andalusian pirates at Fraxinet. In 931, Hugh and some Byzantine ships attacked Fraxinet, and the Byzantines overcame the Muslims with Greek fire as Hugh's troops entered the town. In 933, he agreed to cede Provence to Rudolph of Burgundy if he gave up his claims to Italy, and Rudolph's daughter Adelaide of Italy married Hugh's son Lothair. In 942, Hugh came to friendly terms with Alberic II, who married one of Hugh's daughters.

Hugh lost the support of the Italian nobility as he continued to grant lands to relations, even illegitimate relatives of his; in 941, Hugh expelled Berengar of Ivrea from Italy and abolished the March of Ivrea. In 945, however, Berengar returned from Germany and defeated Hugh, and he deposed Hugh at a diet in Milan. Hugh kept the title of king with Berengar as nominal king, and he returned to Provence, where he died in 948.